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Russian election 2018: Why does Vladimir Putin always win?

As Vladimir Putin eases towards his fourth term as Russian President, we take a look at what underpins his popularity and the methods the Kremlin uses to guarantee victory. By Matthew Campbell, Sam Joiner, Krystina Shveda, Alice Foster and Peter Yeung

The Times, March 14 2018, 12:00pm

Vladimir Putin is going to win the Russian election on Sunday and is making no secret of it.

For the fourth time since 2000, the presidential election is being held not to select the next leader of Russia but to bolster the regime that supports him.

The only uncertainty is how big a landslide Mr Putin will win – and on how much of a turnout.

So why do Russians still vote for a president who consistently fails to fulfil promises to help 20 million out of poverty and address the country’s problems with housing, healthcare and infrastructure?

Under a system sometimes referred to as “managed democracy”, the regime holds the election every six years to mask the fact the country is under authoritarian rule.